


Begging.

by Noblegas Xenon (NoblegasXenon)



Series: There's A Traitor In the Midst [3]
Category: Lego - All Media Types, Lego Ninjago
Genre: Gen, THE MOM, it's her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 20:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13911399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoblegasXenon/pseuds/Noblegas%20Xenon
Summary: Leaving for another beginning.





	Begging.

Somehow, it was nice being away from his step brother. Calmer and without the sense of something going wrong. Ronin looked up at the cheery sunny sky and smiled to himself. Laying himself on a long thick branch of a tree. He thought things would be going right for once.

He loved being in the forest on his own. Ronin would always see the caretaker watching him. He would laugh out loud as he jumped from branch and branch. It was a freedom that would have him leaving others behind.

And he didn’t care for that. He doesn’t care for his step brother to yell at him. An act of rebellion was one he’d rather have. Blood was blood but he never felt connected. He knew their dad left them together for each other but the truth never felt like that. 

All Ronin had felt and knew was abandonment. He didn’t trust. He couldn’t trust. So he left on his own. Left for his own. While he knew that his step sibling would find him and scold him for such acts. He didn’t care.

A call breaks him from his thoughts and he turns to see Hitomi, Stiix’s strict caretaker. Ronin waves to her and she sighs. Hitomi was middle aged, long dark midnight blue hair tied into a ponytail that hung high in the air. And eyes of grey steel. She wore an old dusty apron over long black sleeves and she always wore greying brown pants. Her shoes were metal, armored like her soul. Ronin always found her shielding her emotions and her aura always in a frits. She was trusting and not, having a hidden history behind all.

“You haven’t heard me, had you?” He leaps off from the tree, landing hard on his feet. He winces but looks up at her. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” He replies back. She only nods and pulls him into a hug. “It’s okay, sweetie. I was just worried.” And he could tell with the silver wisps falling off her like rain. But he smiles to her returning the hug. The wisps never faded and she continues to speak. “Where’s your brother? Shouldn’t you with him?”

Ronin shrugged replying. “I don’t think he likes me.” He sees her emotions flicker for a moment but nothing seemed to change.

“Why not? Can you tell me why?” She gently asked ruffling his brown hair. Ronin exhales and thinks. He doesn’t know if he wants to tell her about his lack of faith or about his lies. He didn’t want to admit how unnerved he got sometimes around him. He shakes his head and Hitomi sighed again. “Why don’t you come inside with me then. I’ve already made some snacks for the rest of the kids.”

She led him inside the dingy wooden hut. The lighting wasn’t perfect and they needed to fix most of the utilities but Ronin still found himself loving it. He visits alone all the time, ignoring his step brother’s claims of danger. None of the kids seemed to ever harm on purpose and Hitomi always meant well. He didn’t understand why Sohei didn’t trust them.

So he stayed that night, eating with them. He could ask if he could just stay with them on his own but he didn’t know how to ask. It wasn’t that he felt invisible but more that he felt she wouldn’t take him in. But Sohei, his step brother never made him happy.

All he wanted to do was ask his dad why he left him with his brother, why they had to be together. Why he had stacked the cards against him. It was so hard, trying to care for himself when he knew that Sohei lied to him.

Loneliness carved into him and he trembled in his steps. He just wanted an actual shelter he could call home. Not some place outside, where rain and snow could pelt him. Stiix was his home, his house and yet he always felt destined to wander. 

He doesn’t pay attention to the dish of the night and eats it without questions. It’s good and he enjoys the taste but thinking made him spiral. What would happen if he left his step brother? Would he mess something up? Break a fragile balance they could’ve had? Could he have helped him?

He doesn’t know as he shudders thinking about how Sohei was doing. He didn’t need him. Sohei already told him that. He could take care of himself and he’d have no one. 

But what could he do? He just one little boy against the torrent of the world. Powers meant nothing when he saw what he treated for. Just an orphan whose abilities only caused mayhem and hopelessness. 

Hitomi finally shakes him out his thoughts. “I need the dishes to be cleaned, do you want to help?” That gives him an idea and he nods to her.

Ronin gets up and heads for the sink to help her. He’s still a child and she has to set up a stool for him but it was fine for them. Just a cycle to begin again. He gets the water running and the water flushes away the debris with strong bursts. 

“Can I stay with you? Just on my own?” He asks watching the water. Hitomi pauses and he hopes he asked at a good time. Eventually she sighs and sets her hands down from the dishes. 

“I’m not sure. I’m already busy enough with the other kids..” That dampens his spirits and he looks down past the sink. “But- But it’s okay! I might be able to. They like you here.”

“Do you really think so? I won’t be- left behind?” He responds nearly despondent. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he had to stay with Sohei any longer. He didn’t want another day of his step brother treating him like garbage and then leaving him alone. He feared the emptiness it brought. He feared everything it gave him. 

The latch opens from behind them and Hitomi looks up. It’s a young beige haired man, with sharp eyes of steel. Black robes over white clothing. The man clicks the door closed and smiles gently.

“Hello?” He says looking around. He seemed curious, as if looking for something or someone. “Is this the place?”

“If you’re looking for the orphanage then yes, sir.” Hitomi responds swiftly. The man nods to himself and closes his eyes. 

“I’m looking for a child named Ronin.” Ronin stills not expecting the words. He looks over to Hitomi and she’s not smiling anymore, her aura rises with an expectant purple curl. Suspicion, but for what reasons? 

“What for?” She said crossing her arms. The man just opened his eyes again and blinked. 

“I want to train his element. He has one, does he not?” Hitomi stepped forward in front of him and he no longer saw the man. 

“So what if he does?” He simply waved a hand. 

“He can’t control it. He’s just a beast rearing its head.” He was calm even as Hitomi growled. “What he does is none of your concern, miss.”

“It’s my concern when I don’t know if you’ll treat him  _ right _ .” Ronin starts to slide away from the adults, the caretaker’s aura suffocating him. He sees the man smile. “And how would you know that?” Hitomi freezes and her aura shatters. 

“He’s not actually a child of this place.” She says quietly. The man frowned and stood in wait. “He’s- He’s just a child, from outside. But are you just training him? I want to know if you’ll care for him.” But the man doesn’t answer and so she continues. “He’s not a soldier, he’s not some- tool you can use. He’s only a child and you want to  _ train him _ ?”

“Yes, is there a problem?” The man says, still as calm as ever. Hitomi snaps. “Obviously there’s a problem. He’s going through too much. You’re just going to be adding to his issues.”

Ronin sneaks a look and the man notices, kneeling to his level. “Hello.” Ronin thought he seemed nice and snuck a bit closer from behind Hitomi. He just looks at the man, curious. He smiles again, gently and he brings a hand out to shake. “I’m Master Wu, and you are?”

He decides to trust him, because just maybe he’ll finally be away from Sohei. He could finally run. “Ro- Ronin. I’m Ronin.” Ronin said taking the hand with both of his own.

The atmosphere shifts a bit but Ronin feels relaxed. Not completely but enough. “Y- you said you wanted to take me?” He asks unsure. Wu nods to him.

“I did, I’m going to teach you many things.” Ronin’s eyes shined in response to that and he almost pulls Wu forward. 

“What kind of things?” And he sees Wu wave his hand conjuring something, some kind of golden light that faded into the darkness. 

“Something like magic but more.” The master’s words entranced him and he wanted to know more. “It’s cuts deeper, being from the blood and can do so so much more.”

The child stared upward at him. “You’re saying- I’m like that?”

“I am. Don’t you want to help the world?” Ronin glances over at Hitomi and she smiled at him sadly. He lets go of the man and turns completely to look at Hitomi. Wu doesn’t stop him when he runs to her.

“I guess I can’t stop you.” Hitomi says, rubbing his hair and hugging him. “But I- I want you to know that even though I cannot tell you the truth. Your mother loves you.” Ronin nods quietly and squeezes himself closer to her. He could hear her small rumbling laughter as she tried not to cry.

“I’ll- I’ll come back. I want to see you again.” He said muffled into her shirt. He always cherished his connection with her, he never understood why but he didn’t want to lose it. He didn’t want to cut the thread. 

Eventually time passes and she lets go. He doesn’t run up to Wu but he stays. A new future without his brother, his new chance. He wanted this no matter what happened and the results were his to take. He didn’t know that things were only going to get worse. But time waited for no one and this was no exception.

He leaves and everything changes. From Stiix to the outer reaches of the realm. History was moving forward.


End file.
